Bitdefender uncovered SilkParasite, a China-linked espionage campaign targeting government bodies across Central Asia with seven malware families, including the newly observed DriveSilkRAT. The operation used spearphishing documents, Google Drive-based command traffic, and signs of AI-assisted malware development to hide its activity across the region. #SilkParasite #DriveSilkRAT #Bitdefender #Uzbekistan #Turkmenistan #Kyrgyzstan #Tajikistan #Georgia #Kazakhstan
Keypoints
- SilkParasite targeted government institutions across Central Asia for nearly one year.
- Bitdefender identified seven malware families, five of them previously undocumented.
- Attackers used spearphishing emails with malicious Microsoft Office documents in archives.
- DriveSilkRAT used a shared Google Drive folder instead of a dedicated command-and-control server.
- Evidence showed AI-assisted development in both malware code and email lures.
Read More: https://therecord.media/china-cyber-espionage-central-asia